Santa Rosa launches East Milton master plan with public workshops, online feedback

The Santa Rosa County Board of County Commissioners announced a public master-plan process for East Milton in a committee meeting in early May, asking residents and stakeholders to weigh in through workshops and online comment forms.

The county’s planning and zoning staff said the process runs through May with stakeholder meetings and public workshops scheduled this summer; staff expect to present the draft plan to the board in October and begin implementing approved items in 2026.

"The board has tasked the planning and zoning department to work on a master plan for East Milton," said Sean Ward, Planning and Zoning staff, describing outreach that will include neighborhood groups, public meetings and an online comment form that can be accessed via a QR code. Ward said paper comment forms will also be available and that implementation of items in the plan is expected in 2026.

County leaders told the audience — including students — they see the master plan as a long-range effort to guide growth, infrastructure and services in the East Milton area. Commissioners urged residents to participate in workshops; the first public meeting and a follow-up session were described in the meeting record as occurring in June and two months later, respectively.

The county did not adopt policies or budget allocations at the committee meeting; staff said they will return with a draft plan for board consideration. The planning office will accept written and online comments during the May stakeholder period and will schedule public workshops before returning the plan to the board for possible adoption in October.

Public engagement details, meeting dates and the QR link were posted on the county website, the county administrator said. Staff said paper comment forms are also available and that stakeholders may request one-on-one meetings with planning staff.